Curtain-stretcher



4 PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

LW. REED.

GURTAINYSTRETGHER.

APPLIQAHON' FILED 00124, 190s.

H0 MODEL'.

WUJVLSSIL'S.

Patented January 2, 1904.

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE W. REED, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

cuaTAlN-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 749,702, dated January12, 1904.

Application {iled October 24, 1903. Serial No. 178,308. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern: s

Be it known that I, JESSE W. REED, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCurtain-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to that class or kind of lace-curtain stretcherswhich are designed to be set up for use and folded or taken down whennot in use.

The object of this invention is to obtain a lace-curtain stretcher whichshall be cheap, simple, and durable and capable of folding into acompact form when not in use.

In lace-curtain stretchers of the kind named side rails each composed,respectively, of two bars joined together at their adjacent ends aresecured at their outer endsto end rails, thereby obtaining a rectangularframe, such frame being made adjustable by the connections at themeeting ends of the side and end rails being made through slots. Inorder to construct the side rails of light material, it is necessary toprovide specially constructed hinges for joining the bars together atthe adjacent ends 'thereof in the side rail wherein such bars are hingedtogether, and it is further necessary to provide a cross-bar and. meansfor securing it near its ends to the side rails adjacent to the joinedends of the bars constituting such side rails; and this inventioncomprises, first, a specially-constructed hinge for joining togetheradjacent ends of the bars, forming a hinged side rail, and for securingone end of the cross-bar to such side rail all by the use of a singlecommon bolt in a manner to prevent sagging of the side rail, as well asany bowing inward thereof, all as more fully hereinafter described andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of ,mycurtain-stretcher; Eig. 2, a section on the line e e, Fig. l; Fig. 3, aperspective view looking at the underside thereof; Fig. 4, a bottom planview of a modified construction of hinge in which the hinge andconnecting-bar are made separate.

A A are the side bars of a curtain-stretcher divided at their center bymeans of a lap-joint into sections B C, and each bar or `rail at itsends has a slot D permitting of the endwise adjustment of the end barsor rails. The end bars or rails E each have longitudinal slots F intheir opposite ends, permitting of a sidewise adjustment of the sidebars by means of bolts G, passing through the slots DFin the crossedcorners of the frame, each bolt being provided with a winged nut forconvenient manipulation in adjusting or setting up the frame.

H is a strap-hinge pivotally uniting the adjacent ends of the siderail-sections, so that they may fold edgewise against each other,

and I is a strap or bar extending at right angles to the hinge properand preferably formed integral therewith, adapted with its free end tooverlap the lapped ends of therail sections and detachably unite thesame by means of a bolt J, passing through an apers ture in the sectionB and strap and provided with a suitable winged nut for clamping theparts together.

K is a bolt passing through the strap and section C to more firmly unitethe parts to? gether, although this bolt may be dispensed ,Y

with where the strap is made integral with the hinge.

L is a cross or stiffening bar of a lengthv corresponding to thelengthof the end bars or rails extending from side rail to side rail andoverlapping the joint of each bar or rail at the abutting ends of itssections, and this barA has at its opposite ends the slots `M for thepassage of the clamping-bolts J, which firmly unite the cross-bar withthe side rails and at the same time form the only connection between thelapped ends of the side-rail section, thus the one bolt connecting theends of the side rail together and at the same time clamping thecross-bar thereto in any of its adjusted positions, the cross-bar beingguided on the side rails by the heads of the bolts K, traveling in theslots M, as shown in Fig. 2.

N represents the pins around the inner edge of the stretcher forfastening the curtain to in drying.

In Fig. 4. the strap I is made separate from the hinge, in which case anordinary stock strap-hinge is used, and the bolt K acts both to hold thestrap in place and at the same time guide the bar L by reason of itshead traveling in the slot M.

It will be seen that in my construction no metal is permitted to come incontact with the curtain in drying, and the whole joint connection andcross-bar fastening is made -by two bolts, thus doing away with the lossof unnecessary parts, and which can be replaced at any hardware store. il

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In acurtain-stretcher, side rails detachably joined to end rails, abrace-bar connect-y side rails and' integrally formed with a strapadapted to lap thejoint-of the'side rail, a brace-bar extending fromside to side and crossing the rails at the Vjoints and clampingbolts onefor each end of the brace-bar passing through apertures in thebrace-bar, strap and' side rail to rigidly unite the rail-sections andclamp the brace-bar thereto. 1

3. In a curtain-stretcher, side rails adjustably secured to end rails,such side rails comprising bars divided at their middle by a lapjointedgewise foldably hinged together by a hinge secured to the outeredge'ot` the bars an'd integrally formed' with a strap lapping one sideof the bars at the joint and having an aperture in alinement with anaperture .in the other bar, a brace-bar having apertures at its oppositeends extending across the frame at the j'oint and bolts passing throughsaid apertures to rigidly lock the bars of the side rails together andadjustably clamp the bracebar thereto. f'

4. In a curtain-stretcher, side rails adjustably secured to end rails,such side rails comprising bars divided at their middle by a lapjointand edgewise foldably secured together by a hinge secured to their outeredge, a strap adapted to lap the side of the joint, apertures in' Asaidstrap and bar in alinement with each other, bolts passing through saidapertures `to lock the members of the side bars together, a brace-barformed with slots at its opposite ends sleeved on said bolts and nuts onthe bolts to end rails, a brace-bar connecting the side rails, such siderails comprising bars divided at their middle by a lap-joint andedgewise foldably secured together by a hinge secured `to the edge ofthe bars at their lapped ends and provided with a strap adapted to lapthe side ofthe bars at thejoint, apertures in the strap, bar andbrace-bar in alinement with each other, and a bolt provided with awinged nut passing through said apertures for clamping the partstogether.

7 In a curtain-stretcher, side rails joined to end rails each providedwith slots in the opposite ends and bolts provided with winged nutsadjustably securing the parts together through said slots, a brace-barprovided with slots in its opposite ends adjustably connecting the side`rails, such side rails comprising bars divided at their middle by alap-joint and edgewise foldably secured together by a hinge secured tothe outer edge of the bars at their lapped ends and integrally formedwith a strap adapted to lap the side of .the joint, apertures in saidstrap and in the lapped ends of said bars, and bolts in said apertures,one of a length to pass through said apertures and clamp the slottedbrace-bar.

8. In a curtain-stretcher, side rails adjustablyjoined to end rails, abrace-bar adjustably connecting the side rails of the stretcher, suchside rails comprising bars divided at their middle by a lap-joint andedgewise foldably secured together by a hinge secured to the` edge ofthe bars and provided with a strap adapted to lap the side of the barsat the joint,

apertures in said str-ap and bars and bolts therein extending inopposite directions, one adapted to clamp the strap to the liXed bar andguide the brace-bar and the other adapted to unite the strap and movablebar and adjustably clamp the center bar to the side bar.

In testimonywhereof I aflix 'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I JEssE vv. REED.

Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTHEL, THOMAS G. LoNGsTAEE.

IIO

